


Changing Tides

by DonutHolesX0



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Family Bonding, Fishing, Some angst, gilbert week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:20:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26419375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonutHolesX0/pseuds/DonutHolesX0
Summary: Gilbert goes fishing to relax, but doesn't expect a visitor joining him.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5
Collections: Gilbert Week 2020





	Changing Tides

Bringing in his line he inspected the end of his hook to see if the bait was still attached, to which it was, for the fourth time in a row. There wasn’t much point in changing it, so once again he threw in his line, letting it sink downwards and drift slightly to the right, in accordance to the rivers current. Tapping on his rod, he blended into his surroundings, listening to the sounds of running water, and watching his casted line dragging back and forth by the current, as he has done many times before.

“Father.”

Gilbert almost jumped at the sudden interruption, he had yet to grow accustomed to that title, even as Annette would say it he never could grasp nor take on the word.

“Annette? This is a surprise, what brings you here?” He said with his head slightly turned, his eyes only able to look at her shoes.

“Nothing important, I just wanted to ask.. Do you mind if.. if I join you?” She asked.

Gilbert had to process what she said, why would she want to be here? He doesn’t even have an extra rod to give her.

“Oh.. of course.” He agreed anyway, how could he turn her away? Quickly making room for her on the edge of the dock, she straightened out her dress and sat beside him. Finally gathering courage to look at her, he immediately spied a line-less rod in her hands.“Where did you get that?” He asked pointing at it. 

“Sir Alois gave it to me, I asked him where you were and he told me you’d be fishing, to which he hurried off and came back with this.”

Of course, trust Alois to know what to do.

“Although he didn’t mention where I could find any string.. or lures.” She said forming an embarrassed smile. Gilbert felt her unease, laying his rod next to him he reached to grab his pouch. Pulling out some twine and passing it to her.

“Here, use some of mine. Feed it through the circles along the rod, then spin it around the dial.” He instructed, Annette nodding as she did exactly that.

Reaching back to pull out a small box, opening it revealing different sized hooks, taking one out to give to her as she spun the twine around the rods dial.

“Do you know how to tie the hook on?” He asked.

“I know.” Annette replied quickly, turning the handle to check it was positioned right. Throwing in his line again, Gilbert went silent, his foot anxiously shaking trying to think about what other conversation to make with her. What more can he say?

Glancing over at Annette’s hands fiddling with the string and hook he gave to her, “Is everything alright there?”

“Yes, it’s just a little fiddlier than I remember.” Annette said trying to concentrate threading the hook.

“You have it, just make sure you don’t tie a regular knot, it will come loose otherwise.”

“What qualifies as a regular knot? I didn’t think it made much of a difference.” She said curious to what he meant.

“Well.. Having a regular knot does not give the hook much of a grip, if you twirl the line around the hook it makes sure that the hook will not come loose.”

“I see, how do you do that?” Annette queried him, her hands instinctively moving towards him for guidance.

“First thread it through the hole, then make a circle and loop the line around it, then fasten it back through those loops.” He instructed her. Carefully, Annette followed what he said, watching her fingers wrap it around, holding in his breath to avoid saying anything else.

Fastening the knot on the hook she looked at it, scanning to make sure she got it right, “Is this correct?” Again, pushing her hands close to his face.

It was a few twirls less than he would make it, but she still did a splendid job, “Perfect,” He praised her, “now the bait-”

“Oh I know how to do that.” Annette reached behind to pick up one of the worms in the bucket and easily piercing the hook into its body. Standing up she wound the rod and threw her line in. Gilbert sat amazed how she managed to do it all effortlessly.

“Impressive, you seem to know all the basics already.” Gilbert commented, as proud as he felt she managed to do so, he felt a little disheartened he couldn’t help her with the rest.

“I went fishing with uncle a few times when I was younger, he taught me most of it.” Annette said sitting back down next to her father.

“Oh.. I see. That’s good.” Gilbert replied.

“It was nice, those years with uncle. The fact he took us in without hesitation and set us up in his manor. Ensuring us of our safety after-” Annette stopped mid-sentence, biting her lip as she sombrely continued,

“After you went away..”

Everything became still once she said that, everything up to that point was a blessing, steadily they were managing to mend the distance between them. Now it felt as if it all went away from the un-ignorable centrepiece, the reason for the separation between them.

“I am.. unsure what else I can say that I have not already said.” Gilbert said solemnly.

“And as I’ve said before many times.. you should at the very least send a letter to mother.” Annette scoffed to herself, shaking her head, “I was alright when you left, I dealt with it, learned to be ok with why you left. I don’t need your apology.” The raise in her voice along with her jarring words piercing through him. Deep down he still deserved all of this, not saying anything and letting her speak.

“I’m not a little girl anymore, everything you remember about me, and anything else for that matter, is already long gone. Everything has changed, I need you to understand that.”

Holding his tongue, he was tempted to say something to reason with her, or at least spill the full reason behind his departure, but he had a feeling he already did, any more words felt like nothing but excuses. Turning his head back to the water, he contemplated for a minute, the silence between them felt like a time limit, as if the more it grows the more he would lose Annette again. She isn’t wrong that both she and the world is different, and not everything can stay the same.

“I do forget how much you have grown, I apologise.” Gilbert said finally breaking the silence, “I will not excuse myself for what I did but.. I do not know if I can face everything yet.. not for a while more.”

Annette’s head only turned away from him, that may have been the wrong thing to say.

Holding back a choke in his throat, “But it does not mean I would not like to try. For now.. I want to know you now, not as the daughter I remember, but as the young woman you have grown to be.” Gilbert wholeheartedly said to her, his eyes beginning to sting, “Will that be alright?”

His heart pounded in his ears and his stomach grew cold with the long pause that followed, fearing the worst, maybe he finally did it in for himself this time.

“I suppose so. That would be good.” Annette finally spoke, her hand brushing the side of her eye as to wipe something away. It all felt bittersweet, his old heart calmed down and relief washed over him, but guilt plagued over him yet again. Realising all their interactions thus far had been up to Annette. His pride and shame continued to keep him stuck in one place, yet she never gave up. That was the difference, and he knew he had to change, he just hope, prayed, he could fix things from here on.

Turning back to his line, still nothing. Not a single bite. Just being pulled by the water, but it didn’t feel so lonely next to another that flowed the same direction.

“So..” Gilbert finally piped up again, “How.. is your relationship with that young man going?”

Annette jerked her line as her back tensed up, “Wh-What young man?” She muttered nonchalantly.

“That boy, I see you training with him sometimes, he seems very fond of you.”

“Oh, him.. Th-there’s nothing going on between us, we’re just friends.” She spat out, her face beginning to glow a bright red.

Gilbert raised his brows at her, perplexed by her reaction, “I do not intend to interfere with your relationship if that is what worries you.” He said calmly, “Although if I may admit, I am unsure whether to give my blessing to him or not.”

“We haven’t even spoken about that yet!” Annette quickly said defensively.

“So there is something between you two?” Gilbert said stirring, amused to watch her so ruffled and blushing.

“Well, father, if you don’t mind me asking, what is it between you and Professor Hanneman?” Annette turned the tables interrogating him.

It was Gilbert’s turn to tense up, trying his best to compose himself, “There is- we- Professor Hanneman is also a dear friend to me.” He stuttered.

“That’s not what I heard from him.” Annette chimed, causing Gilbert’s ears to steam. Hanneman wouldn’t tell her about that would she? He wouldn’t put it past him thats for certain, in that case how much?

“I’m kidding father. I’m sure if there is you would let me know.” Annette said casually, pulling in her line to cast it out again.

“Right..” He replied with a faint chuckle.

Sitting together on the dock, chatting away as their lines waded with the tides.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! This will prob be my last piece for Gilbert week sadly, too many things and so little time to read or draw.. But I hope you enjoy it, please check out others work in the collections or on twitter #GilbertWeek2020!


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